"Even if you don't appreciate what she does, you should appreciate that she does it."

I went to the region drill competition this week. I have a friend who's sister is on the team. I texted him and asked him why he wasn't there supporting her. he replied by simply saying "that kind of dancing is dumb." i agree, but that doesn't mean i'm not going to support them. this same sister then placed third in the drill down, which is a really big deal. when i informed him, he said "yawn." i was fairly upset at him. even if he doesn't enjoy watching that kind of dancing, and even if he isn't willing to go, the support system should still be there.

in my family, i have always had a very strong support system. my family is very musical, so sibling concert attendance has been regular since i was small. i know that not everyone has a family this strong, but i still feel that support isn't an option in a family.

the bonds within a family are something completely unique. we don't choose our families here on earth, but according to my beliefs, i think our families are predestined to be together. i have a very strong personal example of me and robert. i know that we were meant to be here together. we've needed eachother. many times, he has been able to be there for me physically, emotionally, and in other, indescribable ways. we aren't identical twins, but we still have that special connection, and we have for as long as i can remember.

whether or not you believe familes are "meant" to be together or not, it doesn't change the fact that the ties of family cannot be broken. the bonds of marriage can, but that can never change the titles of son, daughter, mother, father, brother, or sister.

i have one younger sister. she is the youngest in the family, and thoroughly fills the generic role of the youngest child. she's slightly spoiled, can be a brat, but has also figured out a lot of things by watching us, and seems to handle her life a little better than we all did.

this same little sister has also learned to push buttons. very very well. she probably learned from watching her older siblings interact, and has taken the best of each of her methods to create the ultimate system. but this is all besides the point. the fact is that no matter how much she bugs me, i still love her. and even if i didn't, i would still be there if she needed it.

i know most of my friends a lot better than i know my oldest sister. she moved out of the house about 5 or 6 years ago, and when she lived here, we were never close. but regardless of this, i would take a bullet for her long before i would take one for a close friend.

why is this? because we're family.


the family is the basic unit of society. if families can't even hold themselves together, what hope is there for larger, more complex bodies in our community? if peace can't be reached within a home, why do we even bother trying to create peace elsewhere? home should be a haven. even if your actual home isn't a haven due to certain circumstances, everyone should have a place, whether it be physical or metaphoric, to get support. when we are at our most vulnerable point, when we reach our breaking point, when there is no where else to turn, family should be there. family should be the FIRST place to go, not the last. i honestly don't belive there are any excuses to not do your part in helping create that support system for your family.

i love my family. even if you don't, this blog still applies. even though you may not appreciate who they are, you should still appreciate that they ARE. that should be enough.